Being Brave
by fickle me flinx
Summary: Immediately after Lightspeed. KF/Jinx. First chapter on where Jinx stands, and where she'll go next. Might be a multi-chapter, chronicling from Lightspeed to post-Titans Together about Jinx's imagined path on the road to hero. Returning writer after a long time.


"Do you want to go sit down somewhere?"

Jinx can only nod to his question because her words have left her in shock. Madame Rouge. The HIVE 5. Her life. Everything she knew. She has saved the life of a hero, and destroyed her own in the midst of a war between good and evil. Neither side could accept her now – except, perhaps, for the red haired speedster of questionable taste.

.

"Thank you." are the first words she utters. She means for the rose tea he's pushed in front of her, and for so much more.

"Thank _you_ , Jinx." Kid Flash says. "It was incredibly brave of you."

She shakes her head. "Brave is standing up to her, and people like her, every day. You're the brave one. You … you made me brave, for a moment." Blushing, she sips her fragrant tea.

"Do you think you'll keep being … brave?" He's looking at her in the eyes and it's a little bit too hard to endure.

"I don't know," She looks at her own face, reflected in her tea. "I doubt it's safe for me to stay here. Things… things are heating up with the Brotherhood." Jinx says miserably. "I don't know where I stand."

"You were looking for a way to be luckier when you picked up that necklace in the museum." Why did he have to have blue eyes? Brown eyes you can breeze past and never look back. Maybe he'd still rock brown eyes. A piercing gaze was so quintessentially him, as he'd demonstrated.

"Are you suggesting that you, fastest boy alive, are my lucky charm?" In spite of this night, all that's transpired, she smiles into her cup.

"No. I'm suggesting you wanted to be more than who you were. You're smart and resourceful. I mean, yeah, I liked you when I saw you, so maybe I'm biased. Maybe you don't like me. But you still saw a chance to be someone different – you saved me. You can do anything now, Jinx."

His admission brings up a blush, even though it's not a surprise. He's left her two roses already.

Jinx turns his words over. _Anything?_ "Bad luck is evil. I thought that's all I could be. And the thing is, being bad is fun, it's rewarding, it's all I believed in for myself. HIVE Academy gave me fear, admiration … tonight, I _impressed_ Madame Rouge. I have her respect, finally … that I no longer want. I don't know what I want now. But I can't be good, Kid Flash."

He's disappointed, he has to be.

He's not. He likes her, and that kind of blinds him; it gives him more hope than anyone else would have. It's just the support she needs.

"You guys weren't too evil." He says breezily. "Well, except for that sucker punch you threw at me. Way to play on a poor guy's affections."

"Faint heart never won a fair boy."

Neither can look each other in the eye. Both are definitely blushing.

"It's late. What are you going to do?"

"I can't go back."

He agrees. "I've got a place here in Jump…" At her glare, he hurriedly continues. "I mean, it's a Titans rental place, you know, for auxiliary members in town. You can take the couch. A guy like me can only get beauty rest in his own bed."

"You sure need it."

They smirk at each other.

Is there … Could there be something there? Maybe she'll figure out what he finds so redeemable and irresistible in her. Maybe she'll find out what she's beginning to see in him. So it's agreed. Robin won't have too big of a heart attack or anything. And of course, she'll have to find a new place after a few days and figure out how to just live life. It'll take time, but the fastest boy alive is here, and he's got all the time in the world to help out.

.

"Pick a toothbrush." he says. He's spent the last twenty minutes rummaging under his bed for a box of new toothbrushes. Not too awkward or anything. She's wearing a shirt of his with her own tights; he's still wearing his mask with his pajamas – the plaid pants all guys seem to wear to bed and a plain tee.

"Kid Flash," she's been thinking. "I don't think I can be good quite yet…" He looks up, a faint smile slowly forming. "But I can be brave."

He stands up and gives her a serious look, then holds out his hand in a handshake. "Kid Flash." It's not the introduction they had originally, but maybe it's the one they would've had.

Both, she thinks, make a good story. "Jinx."

.

.

 **A/N:** I've been very inactive on ff and away a long time. This was a more serious/contemplative piece then anything. Normally my (old) work is more humorous. Also tried out a new style vs my (old) usual style (first person vs third person). Check them out. Feel free to leave me a message!


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